The Harvest Festival Murders: The Homefront Sleuths Cozy Mystery Series, Book 6

Homefront Sleuths #6

by Anna Elliott, Charles Veley, Iona Campbell (Narrator)

Harvest celebrations meet wedding bells ... until murder crashes the party.

The Homefront Sleuths thought their biggest challenge would be planning Blake and Katherine's perfect autumn wedding. But when a mysterious government inspector turns up dead at the Harvest Festival, their cozy village celebration becomes the scene of something sinister.

What starts as a puzzling murder quickly becomes a race against time. Missing microfilm, coded messages, and suspicious "diplomats" suggest this case is far more dangerous than anything the Sleuths have faced before. With potential Nazi spies lurking behind familiar faces, no one in Crofter's Green is above suspicion.

Between wedding preparations and investigating clues, the beloved team finds themselves busier than ever. Katherine balances bridal duties with mystery-solving, Dorothy's sewing circle provides the best village intelligence, and Bonzo the Pomeranian proves once again that four paws beat two feet when sniffing out trouble.

But as a second murder rocks their community and Evie's partnership with Detective Inspector Nigel grows complicated by unprofessional feelings, the stakes have never been higher.

Can the Sleuths unmask a killer before their village—and their hearts—pay the ultimate price?

A delightful blend of cozy mystery, wartime suspense, and village charm—perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Carola Dunn, and The Mitford Murders. Scroll up and One-click now!

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, British Literature

Audible Audio

First published September 5, 2025

About the author

Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.

WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...

Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, part of a series I had not dipped into previously. The father/daughter joint authorship produces a well rounded tale of life during war recovery era.

Kindle Unlimited

[Seileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps because the authors are churning out these books, I think they have become formulaic. This one is my absolute least favorite with a body count of five, over the top, deaths. The storyline was very meh and rather simple and a few of the murders felt unnecessary. I didn’t feel pulled into the story and characters like the others. It felt all over the place with red herrings (Greta and the black market farmer) and I easily spotted the culprit.

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was all over the place without a real focus and felt like too much was crammed into one book.
We've got more spies and Germans and missing microfilm. Way too much of this sort happening in one out of the way village - I could see the authors including these themes in one book but all of them? I keep hoping for some normal village mysteries!

[Miss Rachey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yayyyy! The Homefront Sleuths are back! I’ve missed the gang in Crofters Green!

A very complex murder mystery with lots of seemingly random events and deaths that are sort of linked but also possibly not…

Suspicious newbies in the village from a Swiss Agricultural expert, a government inspector checking up on ration management, land girls acting strangely and a Yorkshire airman - oh - and another anthrax scare!

I kind of feel like I’d like to be Alice when I grow up. She’s so cool, classy, clever and I quite like the idea of being a herbalist lol

Some really emotional moments in this particular book through the character of lieutenant Bradshaw, his resilience and the injuries he’s sustained…a chapter that was just a conversation between him and Harry but from Harry’s PoV as an older gent reflecting on this young guy.

And another between Bradshaw and Blake but for a different reason - just another insight into how misunderstood Blake is and his not understanding social queues, and how difficult neurodivergence would have been to live with when it wasn’t something really recognised or understood.

The general strength and resilience of the young men during that time was incredible and inspirational.

There was a much bigger focus on food in this book, which I wonder is because as the war went on, and food became scarcer, it was so relevant that it needed to be talked about? It makes me so appreciative of actual real eggs and butter. Love how ingenious the villages were with adapting to use honey instead of sugar and baguette style bread as it doesn’t require the same ingredients.

The land girls were absolutely integral to ensuring that crops and animals were managed and really kept the country going.

As always, love the historical facts at the end of the book - I don’t mind at all if the books aren’t factually accurate but it’s so interesting knowing what’s what.

Dying for Evie and Nigel to finally just get together!!

And I do not for a second think that Paul is gone gone.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Harvest Festival Murders by Anna Elliot is book six in this series but the first one I read. I normally do not read books in a series out of order, because why would you want to do that. However, this is pretty much a cozy mystery and I needed a book that had a harvest/autumn festival for a reading challenge task. So I figured I would still be able to follow the story without much of an issue as we aren’t talking about starting six books in to some detailed science fiction book with complicated world building. And that was the case, I definitely was missing some of character relationship development of course, but the authors provided enough details I never felt lost or confused.

However, I don’t really recommend this book. It was fine and I have read worse for reading challenges by far. That being said, this book was just bonkers town after a certain point. But seemed to not know it was bonkers town? Or that the story was way too far off the rails into suspending disbelief it was just silly? If that author, or in this case authors as this is a father/daughter writing duo, embrace the cray-cray and go for broke. Maybe this wasn’t the best introduction to their work, but I’m not planning on investigating their works any further.

[C.G.Koens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one needed an edit

{SPOILER} The authors have been cranking out these books and you can really tell with this one. Lots of loose, dangling ends, one minute Katherine is getting ready to talk to Harry and Nigel about the German girl (Greta, who disappears from the story after that, and really wasn't central to anything!), the next minute she's standing in the village hall being fitted for a wedding dress. One minute Evie is sneaking around a crash site, with a gun in her hand, but the next minute she's back at the hospital and kicking herself for not being armed. There were too many side stories and ideas, none of which really played to the main plot (which kept getting lost in all the side plots and murders), and if one more woman's hair was described as "Pulled back severely" in a bun, or one more "scared face" with "darting eyes" showed up in the story, I was going to scream. I'm all about getting more books out, but don't sacrifice the editorial portions of the writing. This definitely needed some help and made it far less enjoyable than previous stories in the series.

[Edie Kennard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love The Harvest Festival Murders by Anna Elliott. As a huge fan of historical fiction, the premise—a mystery set against the backdrop of a vibrant harvest festival—sounded like it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, for me, this book was a real struggle to get through, earning it a modest 2 out of 5 stars.

The historical research and attention to detail are clearly present; I have no doubt the author, Anna Elliott, worked incredibly hard to bring this world to life. The setting itself promised an immersive experience. However, the execution felt disappointingly dry and boring. Instead of being swept away by the period atmosphere, I found myself constantly checking how many pages were left.

The pacing felt sluggish, and the narrative lacked the vital spark that makes a good historical mystery a page-turner. While the backdrop was interesting, the story itself never truly engaged me, and the characters, despite their potential, felt somewhat flat.

I genuinely believe this is a matter of personal preference. I know other readers have thoroughly enjoyed this book and appreciate the author's meticulous approach. My inability to connect with it doesn't diminish the hard work that went into its creation. It simply wasn't my cup of tea. I prefer historical fiction with a faster pace and a bit more emotional urgency.

If you enjoy historical fiction that prioritizes deep, slow-burn atmosphere and meticulous detail over rapid plot movement, you might find more to love here. But if you're looking for a gripping, character-driven mystery, you might find this one a bit of a snooze.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual murder / spy investigation type thing in this book wasn’t as good as the others but the personal life story was fantastic and the slow burn I’ve been obsessed with, I’m very excited at how this book ended

[Clare Crawshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another lovely read in this series, hoping for a book
7.

[Yoeri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still like this series as it's some welcome escapism from reality but I'm rating this one -1 for a couple of reasons.

First: the plot is quite confusing for such a short book. There's too many characters at some point. It feels convoluted and messy.

Second: the speed at which the authors churn these out is showing in the writing and I don't like to say it but it feels a bit like they're using AI at some point.

Third: Following on part two: only available on Kindle and Audible.
Give your readers some options.
Please.
I don't mind paying for the things I enjoy but you're making it quite difficult to not resort to..other means.
/end rant

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

October 1941 Another case for the Homefront team as a body of a government inspector is discovered at the site of their harvest festival. Combine this with important official microfilm gone missing and the possibility of German spies the team will be busy investigating.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its likeable and interesting main characters. Another good addition to this delightful series.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again the Homefront Sleuths are embroiled in espionage and murder while the rest of Crofter's Green is busy preparing for the fall harvest fête. Rationing has turned even the tiniest of yards into farmland.

William Fairchild, a food distribution inspector is the first murder victim. Maintaining the homefront during World War II was a well-oiled machine of bureaucratic efficiency. The government saw to it that the people of Great Britain were fed as independently of foreign aid as possible. Included in this effort were the ladies of the Women's Land Army, all volunteers, many of whom were from the cities so farming was not something they knew beforehand. The war effort was an all hands on deck operation. Even manor houses foreswore their elegant gardens in favor of growing crops.

Along with murder, there is missing microfilm. This is of great concern to Mr. Brown of the SOE (Special Operations Executive). Property of the Ministry of Food, the film contains all of the nation’s food infrastructure plans—imports, warehouses, and supply chain distribution lists. If it falls into German hands, it could mean starvation for the British people.

Not all is gloom and doom. In the midst of criminal mayhem, a joyous occasion is being planned. Katherine and Blake are planning their wedding. Dorothy comes up with a plan to learn the local gossip surrounding Fairchild's murder by forming a sewing circle to alter a donated wedding dress. The gossip is helpful and the dress turns out grand. Along with the wedding, there is more romance in the air. During wartime, living in the moment takes on new meaning.

The team of Elliott and Veley write wonderful characters that read like living, breathing human beings. Evie, Harry, Nigel, Alice, Blake, and Dorothy are the founders of the group. Dorothy's husband Tom helps out when needed but prefers to not be a member. On the other hand, Katherine has been accepted as Blake's other half. As in any group of people, each person has his or her own fancies and foibles. I would gladly spend an evening at the pub with any or all of them.

As always, do read the Historical Notes section. It always contains interesting facts pertinent to the story. About the Authors is also highly entertaining.

I eagerly await the next installment of The Homefront Sleuths Cozy Mysteries titled The Scrooge Conspiracy.

[Jill E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So riveting and exciting

Our favorite sleuths from Crofters Green have returned in this, at least for me, much anticipated sixth book of the series. All of our favorites have returned, along with multiple murders and a swathe of potential suspects. For a while, some are suspects, but some then become victims themselves, keeping the reader on his or her toes trying to figure out who the villain is.

It is amazing to read all of the fascinating details based on extensive research the authors have done into World War II from a British standpoint. It demonstrates so clearly how a united people can come together, not only for common purpose to fight evil, but also to support each other in difficult times.

I found myself doing research on the side about things I was unfamiliar with, such as the threat that Evie and Nigel face. I so appreciate the background provided; but also the characterizations are as true as ever, allowing us to feel like we’re spending time with old friends. It’s easy to tell (and appreciate) when a gifted writer can create characters that step off of the page and leave such a lasting impression.

I very much enjoyed the book. I had a difficult time putting it down… And in some cases flew over the words because it was so exciting.

And what a surprise to find that the next book will be coming out in only two months. I strongly recommend not only this book, but also this entire series which just seems to get better and better with each installment!

[Dan Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been my huge privilege to receive the books of this series as free advance copies, courtesy of the authors. I have enjoyed every one of them, and this latest is no exception. I view the series as being very much like the best kind of TV series—with an ongoing serial storyline that helps keep you engaged from episode to episode, but with each one standing very nicely on its own. This does not rule out the possibility of cliffhangers, and we saw one of those in this series, when Evie is abducted right at the end of The Judas Monk Murders. But each book reveals as much as is needed of the previous occurrences to allow someone new to the series to get the full enjoyment of the story without feeling lost.
In this book, a government inspector turns up dead in a cider press at the site of the upcoming Harvest Festival, and Evie and her friends collaborate to try to discover the reason for his murder and how it fits into the disappearance of some microfilms that contain sensitive information on the distribution of food items from famers to consumers during a time of war. At the same time, we see the ongoing development of Evie's feelings regarding Inspector Nigel and the preparations for a wedding between two of the other regular characters. We also witness some of the insecurities she has carried over from her captivity.
All told, the book has great development of the various characters and their interaction in the investigation. This is my candid opinion, and I look forward to the next book in the series, already available for preorder at this time.

[Jo Lynn Bruno-Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure of the Homefront Sleuths, this one with the Crofters Green Harvest Festival as a backdrop. On the eve of the Festival, a body is found in the giant cider press on the grounds of the fair.
This story has the strict food rationing guidelines of WWII England as a major character. I knew it was very important to England, but this gave a deeper look into how it was structures and enforced by the government. The murders seem to revolve around people involved in the rationing program. Yes, the murders fill the fingers of one hand (unusual for a Cozy) and keep the Sleuths and the understaffed police busy trying to solve them. Are they all related or are they some kind of nefarious diversion?
Besides Rationing, the story also involves the Land Girls program, employing young women to tend and harvest the multiplying fields of food crops. Another wonderful glimpse into the historical aspects of the story that are the recurring theme of these books. The Historical Notes at the end are almost as compelling as the stories
The Sleuths themselves are going through changes as well. Blake and Katherine are planning their wedding, Evie is coming to grips with the execution of her traitor husband, and Nigel is acknowledging that he has feelings for Evie.
With the exception of the loose end of a young German woman's fate it was a Good Read.

[Giannina Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting journey through the Crofter's Green village and countryside. The body of Mr. Fairchild is staged in the apple press at the Harvest Festival. Was this done to cause a hopelessness in the hearts of the villagers? With little to go on the Sleuths have their jobs cut out for them. Then Evie gets a call from Mr. Brown regarding missing microfilm. The microfilm contains the routes for the food supply to all the villages. Have they got another German spy in their midst? The wonderful part of these books is that each of the sleuths contributes the narrative of their part of the investigation. We get to know more about each one and their integeral part of the story. Anna and Charles do an excellent job of bring the characters to life and making us care of the struggles of the time. I received a review copy for an honest review and can say it does not disappoint. I can hardly wait for the next adventure. Would give more stars if I could.

[Jackie Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Homefront Sleuths are back at it again solving the hell out of some crime.

I have come to love this series. The characters are chefs kiss. The whodunnit was always so unpredictable; but I think this one felt flat to me.

Firstly, I don’t understand why we have Katherine’s pov (she’s a little bland imo & wasn’t really there from the beginning) but not Nigel’s??? Esp with the romance between Nigel & Evie or the fact that it’s his police department. I wish the books were focused a little less on Harry and more on the other characters.

Spoilers, maybe ‼️
Also - with the German characters added to the mix, this book wasn’t as unpredictable as the other ones have been. & I just felt like there was a bunch of unnecessary m*rders.

This one just felt to be all over the place & definitely not my favorite.
Ugh 3 ⭐️ bc I want Nigel’s pov & I don’t think I’ll be happy until we get it.

[Lonny Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Homefront Sleuths series. Crofter's Green is quite busy for a small village, but as they are close to the Channel and home to a factory making Spitfire parts it's not too surprising they would attract the attention of the Nazi fifth column. I gave this book an extra star because it centers around the British efforts to keep the people from starving. The UK is a series of islands and they are not food self sufficient. When the U-Boats were at their most effective in cutting the supply lines, they came periously close to a starve or surrender choice. Spies want to locate the small reserves of food that are stored around the country. You get an interesting look at the farming, harvesting, and distribution network set up by the UK to feed everyone as fairly as possible. A good read.

[Louisa with an A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn’t need to be a book. This series doesn’t need to continue past the 5th book. It’s just continuing for two reasons, for the sake of it and to tie up loose threads for some of the characters that could have been tied up within the other books, but the writers are lazy, unimaginative, and don’t back their characters up with any substance.

The thing that sucks is that this was probably my least hated book, aside from the first one. There was intrigue in the plot (though it was still convoluted and had more characters than you could poke a stick at), there were red herrings, and the writing wasn’t as bad as it has been.

But I’m so glad to be over with this series – I know, I know I was imposing this series on myself – and that weirdly genius dog Bonzo.

[Evelynn B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I kind of just read it because I needed something to listen to as I worked on my latchhook. It was so confusing at times, and I felt like it was just busy; there was so much happening at once that I had to go through and rewind what I just listened to, "like what?" There were also too many different points of view that were happening, as I get it, you're a club that is going to different places to get different points of view, but it felt like it was skipping over the important things, things that you couldn't miss out on. I think in a way I was thinking that this book would be like a Hercule Poirot book because the reviews were really good. But it felt like something you read just cause. There wasn't anything that I really liked about the book.

[Rachel-Leigh LaBuschagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the series comes to an end, the author did an amazing job at tying up loose ends. Even though I would love the series to continue, the war didn’t last forever. I enjoyed the fact that she brought in historical figures as well as true events which allows the story to maintain its realism but still stay at work of fiction. I think all the characters ended up where they needed to and with whom they needed to. It’s always sad to say goodbye to a really good series that captured your attention and gave you more insight into the world you live in through interesting storytelling. This is definitely a series I would recommend to any murder mystery lover, who enjoys this genre within a historical era.

[CG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read!

I am in love with the Hometown Sleuths series. Set amid WWII rural Englad, the series follows the lives and adventures of the residents of Crofter's Green. The main characters form an unofficial detectives club to solve the mysteries and murders that plague their town while they work to keep England safe from internal sabotage. The Harvest Festival Murders is one more attempt for German spies to succeed. It is a knuckle biter to the end. While it can be read as a stand-alone, the rich character development is best appreciated by reading them in order. And you will want to read ALL of them!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing microfilm, coded messages, and suspicious "diplomats" populate the latest adventure of Evie and her village friends. It is October of 1941 and Katherine and Blake are planning their wedding while Evie, Alice, Nigel, Harry, Dorothy and Bonzo the Pomeranian try to discover who stole the agricultural maps that detail distribution and storage channels for Britain's food supply. German bombers fly overhead almost nightly as they head for London, Birmingham and Liverpool, making the recovery of the microfilmed maps increasingly urgent. Crofter's Green is a charming Kentish village with a very busy espionage underside. Each chapter represents a different character's point of view and each character contributes to the ultimate solution of the case. Great fun.

[Mike Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the latest entry in the Hometown Sleuths series - a great cozy mystery series set in a rural English village during WW2. The series features a team of both professional and amateur detectives who team up to use their varying talents to solve mysteries. This installment features codes, spies and murders and plenty of memorable small village characters. Quite enjoyable and very readable. Fans of the Thursday Murder Club books should try this series. For the sake of transparency, I was provided an ARC of this book to read and review. Having said that, i enjoyed this so much that I will purchase the previous installments of this series.

[Barbara A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery!

This was a wonderful addition to the series! The plotting was excellent. It held you captive till the very end. The characters were developed nicely and the book is very well written. The setting of wartime England (WWII) is particularly well used. You get a real feel of what the ordinary people were experiencing at the time. The end notes on the period were a great addition to understanding the period as well, so be sure to read them! All in all, reading this book was a richly satisfying experience, not just for the mystery, which was great, but also as a slice of life for this time period. Top marks!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was something wrong with this book. It was all over the place, there were many loose ends, the mystery didn’t make sense, and the unnecessary repetition of already-known information was nuts. It felt like 2 different people wrote it (which they did), but this time they didn’t bother reading the other person’s parts. It became obvious as the book went on (and on and on and on) that this was helped along by AI, either with the writing, or the editing, or both. And it showed. I have loved this series, but this book was a huge dud. Reading reviews of the next one seems as though the same issues exist. I’m taking a break.

[Adena Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

You would think that, after reading the first 5 books in this series, I would know better than to begin reading a new installment in the ongoing war efforts of the Homefront Sleuths during a work break. Apparently not - I got my nose firmly stuck in this book while I was at work. It was worth my fellow employee's quirked eyebrow, though. Now to shelve this with my Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers books to be re-read!

I received an ARC from the authors and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy for an honest review.
Since I haven't read the previous books of this series, I was surprised by the different perspectives of each chapters being different characters, but this was definitely a plus. I was expecting more lite comedy from a Cozy Mystery but was not disappointed since the setting of this book is exactly my type. Small town where everyone knows everybody and is a snoop, and curtain twitcher. I will be certainly be reading the first five books of this exciting series. Four Stars, since perfection is hard to attain.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really have enjoyed the series. It puts into perspective what happens to the citizens of a country at war. The resilience of the citizens and the coming together to help each other is inspiring. The main characters grow in their abilities to come up with a solution to the problems. The personal lives of each adds to the story as well as endearing each person to the reader. In the uncertain times of today, it is refreshing to read about a country who came together to support each other in a time of need.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly good. This whole series is stunning! Love the way the author brings the setting and time period to life. And these characters! I adore them all. A lovely eclectic mix of village sleuths, each with an interesting back story. This mystery is full of war intrigue with plenty of hair raising scenes and laugh out loud moments too. Definitely a series that needs to be read in order for everybody's back story and the way friendships and relationships develop. Such a satisfying read! Hoping for many more Homefront Sleuths mysteries in my reading future.